topic Will you be eating a paczki today? in Community Chat

Will you be eating a paczki today?

cherry — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 12:38:42 GMT

Do you have a favorite flavor. I can't indulge anymore, because of health issues, but I always liked cherry the best

Happy Fat Tues everyone. For those that observe Lent, make the most of today. Tomorrow is Ash Wed

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

Bri36 — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 12:42:21 GMT

I've seen them in the stores for weeks. The bakeries will be busy today. LOL

I don't eat them, but they do look good.

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

151949 — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 12:44:05 GMT

We will be having a pecan coffee cake for breakfast then for dinner we are going to get pancakes at church.

Tomorrow DH is ushering for the noon service so we will be starting our lent at noon.

It all feels like it is so late this year!We haven't even started collecting hams at the food bank yet to give out to our clients for Easter.We always have to beg & borrow and use up all our favors with the stores to get them.

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

rustee — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 12:47:52 GMT

I have not had one in decades. The Big Y grocery stores in my area

have a paczki advertising blitz every year at this time.

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

cherry — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 12:50:42 GMT

It’s that time of year again! Fat Tuesday, or as it is lovingly called in many areas in Michigan, Paczki Day. This day is celebrated by indulging in the traditional Polish jelly-filled pastry known as a pączek (PON-check). The more commonly used name for these is pączki (POONCH-kee), which is actually the plural pronunciation for this sweet treat.

Even though “pączek” can be translated to “little package” or “doughnut”, don’t be fooled! A pączek is simply not the same as an ordinary doughnut. Pączki are made from richer yeast dough that won’t collapse when you bite into it. Pączki are pastries made from deep-fried flat dough with fruit or cream filling and are topped with a light dusting of sugar. The traditional fruit filling is prune, but nowadays you can get them with almost any fruit filling imaginable. The most popular fillings besides prune include apricot, lemon, blueberry, raspberry and custard.

Photo Courtesy of Carrie Acosta

After spending three months studying abroad in Krakow, Poland, thanks to the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program I have a deeper love for pączki. In larger cities in Poland, pączki are sold in numerous bakeries every day. The most popular kind I tried while in Krakow were filled with rose-flavored marzipan and covered in a light glaze coating. There is also quite a difference between Polish and American pączki. In Poland, these pastries are actually much smaller than ours. I’ve been missing pączki since I returned to the United States at the end of December, so I’m very excited to celebrate Pączki Day in Michigan this year! No matter the size or flavor celebrating Fat Tuesday by enjoying pączki is a beautiful symbol of how Polish culture is still alive in the States and continues to influence Michiganders.

One of the most popular places in the United States for pączki is right here in Michigan. Known as Michigan’s ‘Poletown,’ Hamtramck, a city near Detroit which has been heralded as since Polish immigrants started flooded the area in 1914. Pączki is the star pastry of their annual Pączki Day Festival. Celebrations start at 7 a.m. and consumers line up around the block at their favorite bakeries to get their hands on pączki.

Photo Courtesy of John Gonzalez at MLive

Pączki are a specialty pastry reserved for once a year in honor of Fat Tuesday. It was Polish King August III who revolutionized these pastries from savory to sweet thanks to his indulgent spirit. Since the Middle Ages, Europeans have been baking pączki to empty their pantries of excess ingredients such as lard, sugar, and eggs before the fasting of Lent began. This day became known as “Fat Tuesday”.

Fat Tuesday is a Catholic day of celebration as it is the precursor to the Lenten season, the traditional 40-day period of fasting before Easter. Polish immigrants brought those traditions with them to the United States, so places with strong Polish roots hold on to those important celebrations. Fat Tuesday was named thusly because it is considered to be the last day for Catholics to indulge in all foods before Ash Wednesday, the day Lent begins. No one is really complaining; Fat Tuesday is a day full of fun and delicious treats!

We know that not everyone can travel to Hamtramck for the day. With that in mind, we’ve discovered several spots throughout Michigan that are rumored to have especially delicious pączki. It is often advised to get to these spots early or order in advance because they’re a hot commodity!

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

meallen616 — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 12:56:22 GMT

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

PINKdogWOOD — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 12:56:52 GMT

I had not heard of these donuts before then all of a sudden I'm seeing them everywhere the last couple of weeks. Saw them in my more local grocer boxed 1/2 dozen in the box. Looked over the few flaves they had and WHAT lemon!!!!! Only one box of lemon so I scooped them up.

They were very soft and fresh for sure but totally disappointed because there was only about a tablespoon of lemon filling which meant they were mostly dough. They're expensive so of course DH & I were obligated to eat them all. LOL

I won't buy anymore.

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

FrostyBabe1 — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:03:09 GMT

No. I've had them before and my favorite flavor is lemon. I'm saving my serving of junk food for a slice of Publix pecan coffee cake later in the week.

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

10sluvr — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:15:46 GMT

i avoided the rush and had mine, over the weekend. really good!

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

momtochloe — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 13:26:10 GMT

@cherry this thread literally made me laugh out loud as yesterday I ran to the store for a couple of things and wanted to treat myself to a custard filled doughnut only to find they didn't have any because of the paczki . . . unfortunately none of the ones available were what I was looking for but it did make me giggle . . .

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

deepwaterdotter — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 14:10:46 GMT

Wish I could. Too many paczkis in my past means no paczkis in my future!

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

forsythia1 — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 14:19:43 GMT

I picked up a box yesterday, raspberry flavored. Yum!

I wil have them for dessert after my dinner of Zatarain's dirty rice.

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

redwingsgal — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 14:35:56 GMT

Great post, @cherry. You made me very homesick today!! Living in Tulsa, there is not a big Catholic or Polish population, so I only see King cakes (which I never heard of til I moved here)

Thanks for the memories!!

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

gidgetgh — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 14:39:12 GMT

I've never even heard of them but, based on the pictures here, they look good!

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

Mistreatedbycs — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 14:55:21 GMT

I had mine last week, prune has always been my favorite ever since I was a little girl.

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

just bee — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:08:04 GMT

If I had one, I'd eat one. Chances of finding one in New Mexico are slim.

@cherry

But an empanada might work as a substitute.

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

golding76 — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:11:19 GMT

We called them "kinklings" where I grew up (Frederick, Md.). Our next-door neighbor always brought us over a dozen because this was part of her heritage.

In Frederick, the day was observed town-wide as Kinkling Day. Below is a dated piece that I found online. Check out the last paragraph:

Depending on where you spent Tuesday, February 21, 2012 it was either Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Carnival, Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, Fasnacht Day or Kinkling Day. If you celebrated any of these days heartily you are most likely spending Wednesday, February 22, 2012 in a carb and grease coma! This day has been celebrated since the middle ages as a time to confess our sins and to clear the pantry of lard, sugar, butter and fat before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent. Lent can then begin with a clear conscience and an attitude of sacrifice.

Basel, Switzerland has an annual Fasnacht Festival. The 19th century immigrants settling in the Mid-Atlantic States in America became known as the Pennsylvania Dutch in the area of Lancaster County, PA. They brought to America their recipes for fasnachts, donuts made with potato based dough and cut into square or rectangular shapes. They are either uncoated or coated with table sugar or powdered sugar. Fasnachts are synonymous with Carnival in Germany, Switzerland, Alsace and Austria.

A long-time friend and former co-worker grew up in this area of Pennsylvania. Karen used to spoil our team and bring us fasnachts on Fat Tuesday each year. They were wonderful and have left an imprint that will cause me to celebrate her salivate like one of Pavlov’s dogs automatically on Fat Tuesday. Each year going forward I celebrate (and will continue to celebrate) Karen’s culinary skills and friendship. Thank you Karen for all of those gastronomically delightful Tuesday mornings!!

In the state of Maryland, especially in the area of Frederick, you would find Kinklings on Fat Tuesday. They are, in essence, identical to fasnachts. Fasnachts have some other relatives.

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

Lucky Charm — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:23:14 GMT

I'd never heard of them till about 3-4 years ago when we were in Chicago. Never had one and unless they're vegan--I never will. lol

Had a Russian/Polish great great grandfather and am familiar with perogies, and cruschicki (sp?) though!

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

Nomorebirthdays — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:37:55 GMT

I never heard of them either, we eat fausnauts, pa Dutch for a donut. Big fund raisers for churches around here of a lot of different denominations.

Re: Will you be eating a paczki today?

itsmagic — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 15:40:17 GMT

They have been in all the bakeries around here. I like the lemon or blueberry.